1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus, a facsimile communication method, and a facsimile communication system and, more particularly, to a facsimile apparatus, a facsimile communication method, and a facsimile communication system having a function of preventing erroneous transmission that is facsimile transmission to a wrong destination.
2. Description of the Related Art
One approach for the prevention of erroneous transmission or facsimile transmission to a wrong destination is to perform transmission using one-touch or abbreviated dialing while prohibiting transmission through direct input of a facsimile number. One-touch dialing is a function which involves pre-registration of particular telephone numbers in association with several buttons and which allows connection to a facsimile number pre-registered in association with one button to be automatically established when the button is pressed. Abbreviated dialing is a function which involves pre-registration of particular facsimile numbers in association with respective two- or three-digit numbers, and the function allows the telephone numbers to be dialed using the two- or three-digit numbers instead of about ten figures which are otherwise to be dialed. When such an approach is adopted, facsimile transmission can be made only to pre-registered facsimile numbers, and erroneous transmission attributable to an input error in directly inputting a facsimile number can be avoided.
Even when such an approach is adopted, it is not possible to avoid erroneous transmission attributable to an error in making registration for one-touch or abbreviated dialing and erroneous transmission attributable to an unknown change in the telephone number of the party to be called.
Under these circumstances, proposals have been made to introduce a facsimile apparatus which has periodic access to a database having the latest and correct information registered therein to automatically update the dial information stored in the apparatus in order to keep the dial information registered for one-touch and abbreviated dialing updated and correct. What is intended is to avoid erroneous transmission attributable to an error in making registration for one-touch or abbreviated dialing and erroneous transmission attributable to an unknown change in the telephone number of the party to be called.
However, although the above-described facsimile apparatus has periodic access to the database, a problem still arises in that erroneous transmission can take place depending on timing of transmission immediately after the facsimile number of the party to be called is changed. Specifically, dial information registered for one-touch or abbreviated dialing is not necessarily updated immediately after the facsimile number of a party to be called is changed. Therefore, when facsimile transmission to the party is attempted using one-touch or abbreviated dialing, the facsimile transmission may be made to the old facsimile number.
The invention has been made taking such a situation into consideration, and it is an object of the invention to provide a facsimile apparatus which allows facsimile transmission to be made to a correct party by preventing erroneous transmission even when transmission is made immediately after the facsimile number of the party to be called is changed.